The number of online and email newsletters has jumped from 1,053 to 6,055 over the last five years, an increase of 475%, while print-only newsletters decreased 43% from 7,395 to 4,180, and those in both print and electronic formats remained about the same (4,859 vs. 4,949), according to Mediafinder.com.
The newsletter data reflects listings in the 2009 edition of the Oxbridge Directory of Newsletters 2009, and also reveals that over the last year, online and email newsletters grew from 5,485 to 6,055 while print-only versions dropped from 4,873 to 4,180.
The number of newsletters in the 2009 edition of the directory totaled 15,343, vs. 13,197 in the 2004 edition and 15,185 in the 2008 edition.
Legal Newsletters Most Abundant
Legal newsletters, which account for a total of 1,212 publications, continue to outnumber any other category in 2009, Mediafinder said. Other top categories are Computers & Automation, Investment, Medicine, Health & Fitness and Education (406). The same categories topped the list in 2004.
“Overall, newsletters are holding their own in this media-threatening economy,” said Trish Hagood, president of Oxbridge Communications, Inc. “The newsletter industry had its internet wake-up call years ahead of the magazine and newspaper industries, with many newsletters moving to online formats.”
About the directory: The Oxbridge Directory of Newsletters includes information on address, phone, fax, URL and email; names of editors, publishers, and other key personnel; frequency; print specifications; circulation, advertising and list rental information.
